A culinary tourist in my own back yard.

Monthly Archives: October 2013

Desire to learn

I didn’t grow up cooking. While I have memories of my mother and her mother canning and cooking together, and my paternal grandmother’s kitchen being a constant source of culinary goodness, I have no memory of helping. Or being taught any of the techniques or recipes I witnessed.

I want to say that things have changed for my kids. That they’ve been my kitchen helpers daily since they could hold a wooden spoon. But that’s not true. At all. Having never learned to cook at the side of a patient teacher, it’s been a struggle for me to find the patience to teach my own kids. Continue reading →

I *think* it’s safe to say that the weather is turning cool. It sure looks that way this week. We’ve turned on the furnace. That means something, right? Though I do hope that it is still nice enough for a pleasant evening of Hallowe’en trick or treating.

You may want to grab a cup of coffee and sit a while. I have lots to say today. 🙂

So Thanksgiving has come and gone in Canada. What a wonderful weekend. It was beautiful. Cool nights, days warm enough for long sleeves and no jackets, autumn colours, lots to do… and food. Good, good food. Continue reading →

No, I am not retracting my comment on pumpkin spice everything. But what can I say? It’s that time of year. When you’re buying local produce in Niagara in October, there is a gloriously obvious bounty of pumpkins and squashes to be had. Rich in fibre and vitamin A, and useful in everything from soups to sides to dessert, they really are a fabulous food to take advantage of. Continue reading →

Like this:

Every time I get knee-deep in autumn inspiration, it turns warm again. Not hot, thankfully, but the kids are in shorts and a couple of our ceiling fans are on. But it’s too late for me. I’m hopelessly giddy that October is here. Thanksgiving is right around the corner (Canadian blogger, remember), the leaves have begun to turn, and my favourite month has arrived, kicking off my favourite quarter of the year!